Kinder Egg
Kinder is making its U.S. debut next year.
 

CHICAGO — Kinder, the world’s second largest chocolate brand, is making its U.S. debut next year. Parent company The Ferrero Group hopes the confection will spark a craze like its Nutella brand has among Americans.

The company announced the launch during the Sweets & Snacks Expo, held May 23-25 in Chicago.

The 50-year-old Kinder brand is currently sold in 170 countries, offering a range of chocolate products. The brand’s first item to launch in the United States is Kinder Joy, an egg-shaped product with two compartments. One features a small toy; the other, a layered confection of milk and chocolate cremes and two crispy wafer bites filled with cocoa cream. A miniature plastic spoon is included in the package.

Tic Tac Gum
Ferrero USA is expanding the Tic Tac brand into the gum category.
 

By growing its geographic footprint, Ferrero hopes to edge out category leader Cadbury, a spokesperson told Food Business News at the Sweets & Snacks Expo.

“Once people try it, it does become one of those cultish brands,” she said of Kinder.

Another major launch from Ferrero USA expands the Tic Tac brand into the gum category. Available in fresh mint, spearmint and cool watermelon flavors, Tic Tac Gum features the iconic look and packaging of Tic Tac mints. The product is customizable, in that consumers may choose how many pieces to chew per serving, but the standard serving size is six pieces, a spokesperson said.

“Tic Tac has been the leader in mints for 50 years,” she said. “It’s time to give the fan base something new.” 

At the Sweets & Snacks Expo, Tic Tac Gum won a 2017 Most Innovative New Product Award in the gum and mints category. Click here for a full list of winners.

Kinder Joy and Tic Tac Gum will begin rolling out next January in mass, grocery, drug and convenience stores.